Gone are the days when companies could show appreciation for their staff with cool perks like free food, dry cleaning vouchers or no-cost access to an on-site gym or fitness classes. Rather, now employees feel their companies truly value them by investing in their growth and development.

From collaboration-focused exercises such as "trust falls" and other team-based activities, to offsite events like bowling, go-karting, paintball and escape rooms, to simply dining and/or drinking together - a bit of organized fun seems like a great way to get a team to bond and to bolster business operations. That's why an entire industry has been shaped around the team-building concept. In practice, however, it's rarely so straightforward. Let's face it: The words "team building" generally strike dread in most employees.

Skilled, talented and dedicated employees are the backbone of a successful business. Without them, growth and getting ahead of the competition, even running the company’s day-to-day operations that require expert troubleshooting during hiccups, will not be possible. Skilled employees are an invaluable asset to businesses, and retaining them in order to sustain a company’s growth and longevity must be one of the highest priorities that employers must commit to. According to a study done by the United States Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the average length of...